Saddle injury

[bluedog350]

Hi everyone. I apologize if I posted this a few times. My phone keeps clearing everything when I try and submit.
One of my 10 hens has blood and plucked feathers by her tail/saddle region. I have no roosters, and checked everyone for mites ( nothing on any of them ). She is one of 9 brown egg layers. I don't want to toss all the brown eggs forever, since I don't know which eggs are hers, so I am worried about using blue kote. I have sprayed her with Vetericyn a few times ( injured as of yesterday afternoon ). She was fine this morning, the injury clean and dry, at 7am and again at 9:30am. I haven't witnessed any of the hens pecking or plucking her. But of course when I checked quickly as I was leaving for work this afternoon, fresh blood!!!!! So I am wondering if anyone has tried adding blue food coloring to Vetericyn? Do you think that will work? The spray is safe for chickens, and the blue coloring should hide the wound and redness. I will also try and get a saddle apron tomorrow, and will separate her if necessary. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you.

 

[Eggcessive]

How much room do your chickens have, and do you let them outside everyday to free range? They really like to get outside, and that will keep their interest in pecking other thing than each other. Bad tasting creams, such as Nusttock, Bag Balm. Vicks, and Antipick lotion will help discourage pecking. I have used BluKote without a problem on several chickens. Gentian Violet (the active ingredient) was once used in babies mouths to treat thrush (candida.)

 

[bluedog350]

Hi Eggcessive, and thank you for your reply. My covered run is 10 ft by 20 ft. I live on Long Island, and we had a bad winter. Snow is finally gone. I have been letting them free range, but only when I am home. My work schedule rotates, so they have only recently been going out into the yard. So for every 15 days, they can go out 10 days. But not all day -- usually a good 5 hours or so. Just strange how it happened yesterday, and not earlier this year. I will try the blue kote, and will separate her. I didn't know about Vicks -- I have that on hand also. Would have used it today. Thanks so much!!

 

[TNchickies]

Perhaps a predator has been trying to pull her through the fence. Happens all the time where i am :/ i would keep an eye on her and just let her be her. I use "wound-kote" to cover injuries, and it works like a charm (although it does stain the skin/feathers purple for a week or so). Separate her if she is being brutally picked at. Good luck!

 

[bluedog350]

Hi TNchickies. When I noticed the injury on Tuesday afternoon, they had been out free ranging for two hours. I first thought one of the red tail Hawks had tried to grab her. They reside in the woods behind the yard, and have not bothered our chickens before. I immediately put the chickens back in their covered run. Today, after showing her picture to a co-worker, he said it is feather plucking. I just find it odd that I didn't notice the injury when I let them out -- I always count them and check them, just to be sure everyone is okay. But, who knows. I could have missed it. I don't know how to post her picture from my phone. I will try to post it from computer in the morning. I will look for that wound coat also. Thanks for your reply.

 

[bluedog350]

This is what she looked like yesterday afternoon. This morning, no new blood. I sprayed her with the vetericyn again. I know the blood in the photos is from the others pecking, but what do you think caused the original injury? The other hens or a predator? Thanks again

 

[JanetMarie]

She needs to be protected until she heals so you could separate her, but there will be re-intergration issues when she re-joins the flock. Better yet, a chicken saddle would protect her back, and she can stay with the flock.

 

[TNchickies]

It looks like a predator attack, maybe a small dog or coon, ect. But i could be wrong. The blood does look like the hens are picking on her like you said. Good luck!

 

[bluedog350]

Thanks JanetMarie and TNchickies. I went and purchased a few saddle aprons and some more medicated spray first thing this morning. I also purchased the blue kote, but haven't used it yet. The run and coop are really secure, so if she was attacked ( I believe it happened between 11 am and 1pm ) it would have been a hawk or one of the neighbors cats ( they don't keep their cats inside ). Or maybe I just missed it, but I can't see myself missing something so large!! So I sprayed her with some Rooster Booster, then put the saddle apron on. She wasn't too thrilled at first, but got used to it quickly. I did see her in the nest box a few hours later, and she was trying to pull at feathers near her tail. I already checked her for mites/lice, but I will check again later, with a flash light. I do have poultry dust if I need it. To cut down on boredom, I turned over a bunch of dirt in their run today, and also gave them a big bag of loose hay ( the feed store sells it bagged too ), and tossed a whole bunch of freeze dried worms in there for them to scratch around for. They have been out in the back yard free ranging for a few hours already, and will be out til dark. Hopefully she will heal up soon. Thanks again for all your help!!

 

[6368]

hi. I'm not trying to steal the spot light, but I need help too. 2 of my chickens have a spot with no feathers on the back of their head and I have no idea what to do. I am a new comer to the chicken world because I got my chickens last year In April. the sad part is, it is my fault and I feel terrible about it, is that I have already lost one chicken, to a raccoon, and I don't want to lose 2 more because I do not have a chicken medical kit

. so, basically what I am saying is that if you can tell me what I need to get and what I need to do then I will do it. my problem is basically the same as your problem, its just not bleeding. I really need help cause I have no idea what to do.